Derek White/Getty Images for DNC/Drew Hallowell/Getty Images/Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images/James Devaney/GC Images
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, and Melania Trump have all responded to the shooting at Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
According to CNN, Donald Trump was wounded on Saturday, July 13, while speaking at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He was delivering a campaign speech when multiple gunshots erupted around 6:15 p.m. ET.
The incident caused an injury to Trump’s right ear, resulting in blood streaking down his face.
Most recently, Melania Trump shared a statement about the incident in a letter addressed to her “fellow Americans.” In the note, Melania called for the public to “reunite.”
Several politicians, including President Joe Biden, reacted on social media. Shortly after the news broke, Biden posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing relief that Trump was safe and well. He further emphasized the need for America to unite in condemning violence.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. I’m grateful to hear that he’s safe and doing well. I’m praying for him and his family and for all those who were at the rally, as we await further information. Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it,” Biden wrote.
AXIOS reports that President Biden spoke to Donald Trump after the shooting, stating that the rally in Pennsylvania should have proceeded peacefully without any issues.
“The bottom line is, the Trump rally is a rally that he should have been able to conduct peacefully without any problem. The idea that there’s political violence or violence in America like this, is just unheard of. It’s just not appropriate,” Biden explained.
Vice President Kamala Harris echoed President Biden’s sentiments on X about the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. She also expressed gratitude for the swift action taken by the United States Secret Service, first responders, and authorities.
“I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s event in Pennsylvania. Doug and I are relieved that he is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting. We are grateful to the United States Secret Service, first responders, and local authorities for their immediate action. Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence,” VP Harris wrote.
Shortly after the shooting at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally, Barack Obama commented on the news. The former president expressed relief that Donald Trump wasn’t severely injured and wished him a speedy recovery on behalf of himself and Michelle Obama.
“There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy. Although we don’t yet know exactly what happened, we should all be relieved that former President Trump wasn’t seriously hurt, and use this moment to recommit ourselves to civility and respect in our politics. Michelle and I are wishing him a quick recovery,” Obama wrote.
Several social media users responded to President Joe Biden’s statement on X (formerly Twitter).
Reuters reported that Donald Trump escaped an assassination attempt over the weekend, shortly before he was scheduled to accept the official Republican presidential nomination.
According to CNBC, Trump was quickly escorted off stage by the Secret Service on Saturday (July 13) after shots were fired and eventually grazed his ear. The outlet revealed the FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania, who was later killed by law enforcement.
NBC News reported that authorities informed that one attendee suffered fatal injuries, while others are in critical condition.
CBNC reported footage showing Trump instinctively touching his right ear, then dropping to the ground. Secret Service agents quickly surrounded him and escorted him to his vehicle, with visible blood on the right of his head.
